1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
Both body and spirit can be contaminated. The Lord is concerned about our purity. Both what happens in our body and what happens in our spirit matter to the Lord. Both are connected and inseparable. You can’t serve the Lord with your spirit and do whatever you want with your body. Notice that we must purify ourselves. We must choose to get rid of the things that contaminate our body and spirit. We must make choices that move us toward purity and holiness. The Lord will not come and scrub those ‘hidden’ areas of our life. We must allow Him into those areas and make choices that allow His character, His holiness to take over. All of us have areas in our lives that are not pleasing to the Lord. Jealousy, anger, impurity. These and many more can rob us of the fullness the Lord wants us to experience. A good place to start is the thing, the attitude, thought or action that the Holy Spirit prompts you about. When He prompts, then His power is there to enable you to deal with the purifying action. We can’t start by looking at other’s faults and trying to fix them. This is an individual process, you and the Lord. Others can be part of that process, but it comes down to your willingness to give it up, to surrender to His promptings. Remember, both body and spirit are part of this equation. God is concerned about both. Listen to His promptings today.
The Arnold Journey 